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2. I think I don't care how good Darren McFadden looked last Friday, and if you saw how he steamrolled LSU in Baton Rouge, you know he looked like a future star in the NFL. Probably. I wouldn't use a high first-round pick on him. Of the top 50 running backs in the NFL entering this weekend (ranked by rushing yards), 30 were not first-round picks. In my team rankings this week, I've got New England, Indianapolis, Dallas, Green Bay and Pittsburgh as my top five. The Patriots (11-0) have a running game by committee. Tony Dungy of the 9-2 Colts has given CFL refugee Kenton Keith 9.0 carries a game. The 10-1 Packers have had rushing efforts of 104, 55, 119, 88 and 101 yards from Ryan Grant in the last month. Grant, an undrafted free-agent by the Giants in 2005, entered camp fifth on the Giants' depth chart this summer, then was traded to Green Bay for a sixth-round draft choice. Dallas (10-1) has JuliusJones and Marion Barber III manning the running game. Jones was the 43rd player picked in the draft when he came out, Barber the 109th. Undrafted college free-agent Willie Parker -- who couldn't get consistent playing time at North Carolina -- has 3,624 yards over the last two years and 10 games for the 7-3 Steelers. More than any position in football, running back is the one you can find players from the most disparate sources.

Re: NFL Runningbacks: Draft high or scour the wire?

Most high round backs go to crappy teams with no line and high expectations! Some high round backs aren't even the best backs in the draft (Lynch over Perterson).

Bush was and exception, but still hasn't been marvelous by any means!

QB's seem to be the same thing. Raiders are actually playing it smart and letting the guy learn. Sure the Titans sat Young for half and year and then let him run over everyone, but he still wasn't productive as some of the other greats. Take Tom Brady, this guy sat and learned, never played and has done well. Aaron Rogers will be a stud after Farve

"You must try to generate happiness within yourself. If you aren't happy in one place, chances are you won't be happy anyplace." -- Ernie Banks

Re: NFL Runningbacks: Draft high or scour the wire?

Right on about Bush. Early and really for most of last season, the Texans were absolutely ripped apart by fans/media for not taking Bush. Now? Not so much since Bush hasn't produced to his potential in '07 and Ferguson has progressed nicely this season.

It's all a crapshoot at any position.

You mention QB...look at all the current starters, some of the kicking butt out there, that were nobodies on draft day.

Folks are shying away from taking a QB in the first few picks as well. It's getting to the point that few teams want to be in the top 5 or even top 10 for the huge risk involved.

Re: NFL Runningbacks: Draft high or scour the wire?

Well...it's hard to say. For all of the Ryan Grants and (insert Broncos running back here)'s, there are probably 10 mid-to-late rounders that don't pan out. I'd say you have to spend a high draft pick on a running back unless you've got a solid veteran that can hold down the fort in the meantime; the running game is just too important to gamble on...

Re: NFL Runningbacks: Draft high or scour the wire?

Originally Posted by ISUFan22

Right on about Bush. Early and really for most of last season, the Texans were absolutely ripped apart by fans/media for not taking Bush. Now? Not so much since Bush hasn't produced to his potential in '07 and Ferguson has progressed nicely this season.

Heh...I don't know if the Texans are off the hook with that pick quite yet. The combination of their below-average running game and the fact that Williams hasn't exactly been a world-beater for them still makes me question the choice...

Re: NFL Runningbacks: Draft high or scour the wire?

Most high round backs go to crappy teams with no line and high expectations! Some high round backs aren't even the best backs in the draft (Lynch over Perterson).

Bush was and exception, but still hasn't been marvelous by any means!

QB's seem to be the same thing. Raiders are actually playing it smart and letting the guy learn. Sure the Titans sat Young for half and year and then let him run over everyone, but he still wasn't productive as some of the other greats. Take Tom Brady, this guy sat and learned, never played and has done well. Aaron Rogers will be a stud after Farve

Wow on the Rogers quote ... I'd Cybookie against that happening.

Lynch may end up being better than Bush. (Peterson is a world-beater). Lynch is (well, was up until the injury) producing very well for a very poor Buffalo team. He's their only option (much like Minn & Peterson) and while not rushing for 300 yard per game he has put up good numbers.

Re: NFL Runningbacks: Draft high or scour the wire?

I think it depends on the personnel of a team. How often do you see a no name RB really emerge on a bad team? Adrian Peterson, while maybe the most talented RB in the NFL, benefits from having the best left side on the offensive line in the league.

While Willie Parker went undrafted, he went to a team with a very good line and a very good mentor in Jerome Bettis. Denver is indeed a RB factory, but they always have a good line. Rueben Droughns rushed for 1500 yards for them, and he was a fullback. He hasn't come close to duplicating that in Cleveland or New York.

Teams who draft RBs in the first round do so out of need. Teams who end up with a diamond in the rough in the late rounds or free agency don't have any pressure on that position. It allows the player time to mature, and if it doesn't come to fruition, then it's no big deal.

While there are a decent amount of RBs who were drafted in the first round amount to nothing, there's a whole lot more who were taken late or in free agency that amounted to nothing.

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